To Earth and Mars
by Lady Goldmoon
Summary: 2 years ago, Rei Hino was betrayed by the ones she loved most, the Sailor soldiers. In her journey back home, her fate entwines with that of the Fatal Fury warriors, in particular Terry Bogard, saving the Earth from their greatest threat yet.
1. Default Chapter

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To Earth and Mars: Prologue

By: Lady Goldmoon

The scream came piercing through the night, awakening the silence of the warm Paris night. Rei Hino bolted upright in her hotel room, panting endlessly. She had not had a dream like that since…. She gave a soft sigh and looked outside, staring at the glimmering night sky. _"You have to say it, Rei" she told herself, since… _

"Tokyo," Rei answered. Shifting her gaze to the illuminated calendar on her wall, she knew it had been almost two years since she had mentioned her home for most of her young life. Fully awake, she rose from her bed, her slender frame casting a shadow on the bedspread. Rei went outside onto the balcony, smelling the cool night air. Her life had changed two years ago and for better or worse; she couldn't say…

__

After the defeat of Galaxia and Chaos, the Sailor soldiers finally got what they had deserved ever since they defeated Queen Beryl: peace. For the first time in 3 years, they could focus more on their lives than on saving the world, and for the first year, it was bliss. Serena, Amy, Rei, Lita, and Mina became what they had always wanted to be normal high school girls.

As it always happens though peace never lasts for long, the girls soon realized, and it was not always a new enemy. Rei remembered the day when she knew things would not last.

At seventeen, at last, Rei Hino was going to be ordained a Shinto priestess. Rei knew that this was going to be the most important day in her life, next to the day she became a Sailor soldier. Of course, if she survived the party the night before, she might actually look peaceful and radiant, instead of dead tired.

The party was to be a sort of debutante ball, to show to the world and all of Rei's friends just how mature and ready she was for this great honor, one not bestowed upon many people. She was allowed to pick her court as well as her escort for this grand affair, and she would have no one else but her true friends, the Sailor soldiers as the court. Her escort, however, was an entirely different affair.

For as long as she had known him, Rei Hino had always admired and loved Darien Chiba. Loved him so much that when she found out that he was destined to be with another, she stepped aside and let her best friend have him, so long as he was happy. She had cried over him, gotten angry with him, and laughed with him always remembering what she could never have. The thought had first gotten her sad, but as time went on, she began to see him more and more as a friend or brother and less like a lover. So it came as no surprise when she asked Darien to be her escort; to everyone else that is except Darien. For he knew that she was crazy over Chad, the grunge-like rocker whom Rei had fallen half in love with. When she asked him, the first response out of his mouth had been "What about Chad?" Rei's response had been, 

"What about him?"

Darien tried again, "Wouldn't you prefer to have him at your side, rather than me?" He also knew that Serena would have a fit if he was her escort; he knew that Serena, at times, was jealous of his and Rei's closeness.

"Are you afraid of what Serena might do Darien? If you are, then don't bother to come at all! I should have known better than to depend on you, always at Serena's beck and call…" Rei fumed, angry that once again Darien had picked Serena over her. Couldn't he just *once* do something that Serena didn't approve of? For a grown man of twenty, he certainly acted like a love-struck fifteen year-old. It infuriated her so much! And didn't he care for her a little, a small voice asked in her mind… he knew just how much this meant to her… 

Darien heard the anger in Rei's voice, but when he looked into her eyes, he saw the hurt he was causing. He couldn't bare it; if just this once, Serena would have to act like the grownup; this was Rei. He interrupted her rant long enough to say a simple 'yes.'

Rei heard him; he had actually said yes! Overjoyed she hugged him, squeezing him as tightly as she could; Darien returned the hug with just as much force, saying, "I'm honored that you even asked me Rei, but you have to tell me why you didn't choose Chad… I'm not saying today but sometime soon."

Sadness returned to Rei's eyes for a quick second, but quickly vanished as she laughed gaily, saying that Chad was for Serena, just enjoying the feel of Darien's arms around her. It was at that moment that Serena chose to walk into Darien's apartment and see the two of them, arms encircled around each other.

"What is going on here?!" she screamed, nearly livid, as she dropped everything she had been carrying, including a basket full of food.

"Nothing at all Meatball Head; Rei just asked me to be her escort for her party, and I've agreed to it," said Darien evenly. He hoped she would take it maturely….

"WWWHHHAAATTT?!" whined Serena, "but you're supposed to be my escort! Nope that's too bad; I'm sorry Rei, but…"

"Serena, did you hear me? I said that I'd already agreed to it! Rei has asked me to do it, and I am extremely honored. For goodness sake Serena, I do know other women besides you!" Darien ranted, obviously angry. Serena and him continued to argue, throwing insults back and forth at each other as though they were back to when they hated each other. Rei quietly tried to sneak out, hoping with some luck that they wouldn't see her leave. Let them argue this out without her there. As she closed the door, she sighed and smiled again…

Serena had seen Rei leave… she knew that it wouldn't be long before she asked Rei not to return…

Did you enjoy it?

No mention of Fatal Fury characters yet, but that part is coming believe me… email or review me.

Au revoir,

Lady Goldmoon


	2. Devotion

To Earth and Mars: Chapter 1

By: Lady Goldmoon

Terry Bogard stared out at the ocean before him; the scene was mesmerizing. Waves lapping the shore and the moonbeams lighting a path along the ocean made Terry realize once again just how beautiful the world really was. A beauty so many people had tried to destroy, and he knew that another one, maybe the biggest one yet was coming once again. Right now, though, he was in the most gorgeous place in the world, Rhodes Island. Terry looked around his humble camp; as usual he had nothing but the clothes in his duffel bag, his sleeping bag as well the trash from tonight's meal. _"Why am I here?" _he asked himself, although he already knew the answer. He was here because of her; actually because of them. For both the women he had loved and lost, he would always return to this island to remember.

Terry Bogard lay down, his long, golden hair spread out in the sand. He seemed at peace for the first time in months, just gazing at the stars. Suddenly, his peace was shattered by the rustling of leaves. "Who's there?" he called out.

...

__

"You want to add that many moves to our routine?! I'm exhausted!" Rei exclaimed, as she plopped down ungracefully onto Darien's couch. Darien looked at her skeptically, a smirk coming to his face, as he wiped the sweat of his face. He reached over to take a long drink of water, closing his eyes as he savored the taste, unknowingly being watched intensely by Rei.

He really was handsome, Rei thought, as she stared at his exquisite body; outlined by his shirt clinging to his muscled chest… 'I swear," she thought, 'if I weren't half crazy over Chad and Darien wasn't destined to be with Serena, I'd love to be in his bed… and why am I thinking about his bed?' she questioned herself. She sighed, lying down on the couch and placing one tired arm over her eyes. "Darien, do we have to add anymore to the dance? It's already ten minutes long; I'm sure no one wants to see us dance together for that long…" she announced exasperatedly; then she smiled slyly and added, "even though I'm sure you want to hold me all night, I don't think **Serena** would approve!" 

"Well then, we'll just have to make it fifteen minutes long, so I don't want to be with you all night," he replied, settling in to his new position on top of Rei. He smiled devilishly; she really was breath-taking from this position.

Rei opened her mouth to respond, paused for a minute, and opened her eyes frantically to be presented with the scene of Darien straddling her waist, quite comfortably. "Darien Chiba," she purred, "I didn't know you wanted me that much…"

"You have no idea, Ms. Hino, no idea…" Darien growled. They stared at each other for a full minute, staring deeply into the other's eyes. Rei could have sworn he was joking; this was a favorite past time of theirs, yet looking into his eyes this time, she saw something different… traces of something else, something indescribable… with a start she realized a very interesting thing; there could have been a chance for them…

Darien Chiba looked down at his long-time friend, wondering with a start whether he could have, no more like, would have ended up with Rei, if he hadn't discovered Serena. His gaze swept over her, taking in everything from her curved figure to her porcelain skin and raven hair. She really was stunning, but then when he returned to her eyes he knew what would, had actually, entrapped him the most: her gorgeous, amethyst eyes…. So beautiful, he decided, like Serena but an altogether different beauty, just like all the scouts.

"Now, now Darien, remember your poor girlfriend; we know she couldn't bear to loose you so easily," Rei chastised, hoping for him to realize the nature of their situation; there could never be a "them," Rei and Darien as a couple. Besides, Darien was just as crazy about Serena as she was about him.

"The only way I'll get off," Darien decided, "is if you tell me why you aren't doing this with a certain Chad." 

A/N: I would like to thank all of the reviewers for this fic; I know this chapter is short, but I will try to update more frequently. I'm touched by how many people have read this fic and actually like it… we have a long way to go!


	3. Betrayal

To Earth and Mars: Chapter 2

By: Lady Goldmoon

"Who's there?" Terry Bogard called out again; he wasn't looking for a fight tonight at all.

"Someone who is enjoying the view, just as you are… do you mind?" a soft voice answered back.

"No, not at all," Terry replied, surprised. This was the very first time he had even realized that other people besides him knew of this location. And the owner of the voice sounded just as weary as he… "What brings you here?" he asked.

"Life," she said, "life brings me here to dwell on its problems. You?"

"If life were my only problem, I'd be set."

...

__

The atmosphere of the room changed immediately. Rei tensed quickly, looking to the side and said, "Darien, get of me; I really don't feel like talking about it."

"Well then you'll just have to get used to me sitting on top of you," he remarked. "I certainly don't mind."

"Darien, please… just let it go; there will never be a me and Chad, I know for a fact," Rei pleaded, "let it go."

"I don't see why not, nor do I understand what's going on," Darien ranted, "Damn it, he's been in love with you for as long as I can remember, and now you've finally admit your feelings for him. REI, if you keep playing hard to get, he will eventually leave… look at me, I'm serious!" When he pulled her face to him, however he was stunned to find tears in her eyes.

"HE'S GOT A GIRLFRIEND OKAY!!" Rei cried, anger and sadness etched on her face. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Her name is Paris, and she's an old friend of mine; I introduced them a while back, and they must have hit it off. She's a wonderful friend so I know she'll treat him right… I guess you are right Darien, I waited to long…" she laughed bitterly. "And now Chad has moved on."

Darien stared at Rei for the longest time before he rose from above her. He actually laughed, leaving a very confused and pissed off Rei Hino on the couch as he walked to the balcony. "Well, gee, thanks for your concern Darien, I knew I could trust you," she remarked angrily. Of all nerve, she thought, I pour my heart out to him and he actually laughs… well I'm going to give him a piece of my mind! "Darien Chiba," she called out as she walked to the balcony, "apologize right now for that insensitive reaction! I always listen to the problems between you and Serena, as stupid as they can be!!"

_Darien turned to a fuming Rei Hino, the wind ruffling his ebony hair as he smiled. "Since when has that ever stopped you?" he asked. "Why is it, that when it really counts, you don't say how you really feel? Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, Chad may be using her to get you jealous?" Darien laughed again, letting Rei sort out the truth… there was no way that that boy was not in love with her; hell, he'd even tried to have it out with Haruka over her!_

Rei Hino felt truly stupid; that would explain why she continually kept "accidentally" running into them everywhere… why that little! Rei turned to Darien, a beautiful smile on her face… "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Darien!" she yelled, overjoyed at the thought that there was still a chance for her. "Thank you!" she repeated happily and she seized him, jumping on him and hugging him. Darien chuckled; Rei was always more fun when she was happy. She kissed him all over his face, from his head to his cheeks, his chin and suddenly she was kissing him and he was kissing her back; more of a thrilled kiss than a passionate one. They both broke away for each other laughing. "Darien, I've got to go, I'll see you tomorrow for rehearsal! I've got to go talk to someone" she said, in a singsong voice. "Bye!" she called, as she flew out the door.

A figure standing outside watched with a heavy heart and a lump in her throat; so it was true then, Darien was cheating on her. . . Saddened, Serena Tsukino ran home, tears streaming down her face.

...

"You're very funny, do you know that?" the girl said, the laughter in her voice evident. "You are the only person I've known to ever lose like that!" 

Terry Bogard also chuckled; this mysterious stranger was even more intriguing than when they first started talking. "Well, its not my fault; I hadn't played in about two years!" he retorted, sounding like the five-year-old who had defeated him at the simple video game.

She laughed again, recognizing his obvious attempt… this man really was something. He was actually trying to defend himself; she knew he must have let the kid win.

"Okay, then what's you're favorite video game?" he asked.

The casual and playful atmosphere disappeared as suddenly as it had come. Terry Bogard could immediately feel the tension in the air almost as if it were palpable. The silence continued for a full two minutes before Terry whispered, "You'll have to confront whatever's brought you here eventually, you realize that?"

The girl was stunned.

...

_At about two A.M., Darien Chiba heard a very quiet knocking at his door. Groggily, he got out of bed, wondering once again if it was Serena at his door after a fight with her parents. He stumbled to the door, and when he opened it, he was wide-awake. Rei Hino sat at the door, hugging herself as teardrops fell down her face, looking utterly saddened. "What in the world is the matter?" Darien said frantically, as he scooped her up and took her to his room, setting her gently on his bed. For a long time, he just held her, rocking her gently back and forth._

After an hour, Rei said, very quietly, "I walked in to find Chad on his knees proposing to her… he loves her Darien, not me, her."

"Oh love, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry; if I'd known I wouldn't have sent you there, I promise!" Darien replied, softly stroking her hair.

"You know," Rei started bitterly, "this is the second time it's happened to me; first with you and now with Chad… I don't think I'll…"

"Shh," Darien interrupted, kissing her softly. Something about kissing her didn't seem romantic; it just seemed like the right thing to do. He pulled away from her and smiled softly. "You never lost me and you never will, remember that. Now just stay here tonight and rest… after all you have a big day tomorrow."

"Thank you, Darien, thank you." 

Darien tucked Rei into his bed and wrapped his arms around her, and they both drifted off.

Elsewhere, the silver crystal showed the Princess a very different scene, one of lust and passion. For one of the very few times in her life, she became truly angry, and people were going to feel her wrath. She started by calling Ami. 

Somewhere in Japan, someone laughed.

The next morning, Rei Hino awoke to find herself being stared at by eight senshi, and Darien Chiba waking up with his arms around her. Each of the senshi's face had a different emotion upon it, but they all shared a common them: amazement.

"You see," Serena said, very coldly, to everyone in the room "proof that Darien and Rei have not been faithful to me!" Darien held his arms around Rei, an odd look in his eyes.

"Serena, you know that I never will cheat on you. YOU know it," he replied, equally as emotionless. The sun streamed into his bedroom, illuminating each of the scouts' auras.

_"And you know that I would never…," Rei added, but Lita interrupted her._

"Don't even say it Rei, I knew that you once loved Darien but I thought you realized that he and Serena belonged to each other," she said acidly, the disgust evident in her voice. Lita had been cheated upon too many times to ever consider anything else as the reason they were sleeping in the same bed. "Whore," she spat.

Darien Chiba now rose off the bed, thoroughly pissed at each of the scouts. "You can't actually believe that I would cheat on my future wife with one of her dearest friends! Can you?" he questioned, incredulous. He had thought his love for Serena was evident to everyone. "And do you have so little respect for your fellow scout?!"

"Yet you stand there defend the little bitch Darien," Haruka retorted, angrily, "do you expect us to believe things between you are truly platonic?"

Darien walked straight into Haruka's face, saying, very tightly, "Don't you ever call her a bitch, do you hear me?"

"You guys stop this, seriously I don't think they were doing anything together; you all know that I would sense it immediately!" Venus cried, horrified by what she saw, yet she knew she was the only one who believed in Rei's innocence.

"You guys really believe I'd hurt the Princess I'm sworn to protect, don't you?" Rei said, quite abruptly. With that, she walked out of Darien's apartment and out of her old life.

It wasn't until Neptune used her Mirror on the apartment as well as the crystal did the Sailor Scouts realized that they had made a grievous error. It was too late, however; Rei Hino had walked out of their lives forever.

A/N: I apologize for the long breaks between postings; hopefully this chapter is long enough and explains things for now. I promise, though, the other characters will eventually come into play. Thanks to everyone who has been reading!


	4. Aftermath

To Earth and Mars: Chapter 3

By: Lady Goldmoon

"How do you know I have something… to confront?" asked Rei, the shock in her voice betraying her surprise. She was thoroughly astounded at the intuition possessed by the stranger she was talking to. _Maybe there's hope yet for this world, if people like this one over there care enough to… _Again, she repeated, "How?"

"I don't know; you tell me. Is there something that brought you to this island in particular?" questioned Terry, equally surprised by his own curiosity. He was one who wholeheartedly believed that people were entitled to their own privacy, their own secrets. Yet here he was trying effortlessly to discover this woman's own secrets. Something inside him wanted to know everything, _everything, _about her. He peered about in the darkness for her; it had been several minutes since she'd said anything. "Are you there?" he called, hoping she hadn't left. He suddenly didn't mind sharing his place with her. "I'm sorry for my questioning; I just wanted…"

"It's alright," Rei replied, "in fact, it's more than alright." She laughed out loud realizing the irony of her situation. She had come to this place hoping for some quiet and a chance to look for whatever Mina had sensed; instead she had found someone to talk to. "Thank you," she whispered, after she had stopped laughing. "Thank you for making me feel human again; for the past two years, I haven't felt as though anyone in the world cared to know what I was truly thinking…"

"Well I do," Terry interrupted, a smile curving onto his face. Sighing, he laid back down on his mat, placing his hands behind his head. "And I want to know what has made my new found friend so sad. So talk," he said firmly.

A smirk slipped its way onto Rei's face; "In that case," she started as she too lay down, "let me begin…"

...

Mina Aino took in the sights that surrounded her with happiness; New York City was truly a bustling place, with different people everywhere you looked. It reminded her so much of her two homes, London, England and Tokyo, Japan. _It's too bad Rei isn't here, I know that she would have loved this place… _Mina sighed, as her thoughts once again wondered to the missing senshi. _Does she really know how much all of us miss her? And how guilty Lita and Serena feel over what they said? Does she know how many things have changed without her? _Mina laughed bitterly for a second; of course she didn't know how much things had changed. Whenever Mina even mentioned the scouts through their mental link, she immediately changed the topic. Hmm, there was another thing that had changed. Since Rei's departure, the scouts relied on her for their spiritual knowledge. Her, Mina Aino, the biggest klutz next to Sailor Moon. Mina smiled again, this time a true smile. She loved working at the temple; it helped her to communicate with a part of her she hadn't even known existed, her true connection with love. That ability enabled her to even reach the psychic plane. _But at what cost? We've lost a fellow scout, one of the best! _ Yet, a part of Mina knew, from her newfound role as the Scout's spiritual guide, this had to happen; the same force that had chosen them to be the legendary Sailor Senshi was at work again.

__

Whatever's going on, I sincerely hope that we will be together again. I still don't understand that vision I received…

...

"I packed up what little belongings I had, and I left; I couldn't deal. I didn't understand," Rei finished. For the last two hours, he had listened to her quietly, not saying a word. "I know that this doesn't explain why I'm, but…"

"It's alright," Terry interrupted. "Anyone who's had that in their head for over two years and never shared it had to get it off their chest at some point…" He smiled, "And besides I think you miss your friends more than anything."

"I do."

A/N: I apologize for the long wait… this story isn't over, not by a long shot; I'll try to start updating weekly from now on! Thanks for being patient. 


	5. Foreshadowing

To Earth and Mars: Chapter 4

By: Lady Goldmoon

            For an American, Andy Bogard truly hated the States.  Looking out over the hustle-and-bustle that New York City is, he found himself longing for the peaceful atmosphere found at a training dojo.  Ever since his father's death, Japan was his home.

_"Now Mai, on the other hand, is going to need some 'convincing' to ever leave… hmm maybe we should have stayed home," _thought Andy Bogard, as their plane neared Kennedy Airport.  He looked over at his sleeping fiancé, clinging to his left arm (she was gaining some well needed energy as she put it), and a slow smile spread on his handsome face.  _"She really is breathtaking – only when she isn't talking though," _he mused. _"I guess this trip will do her some good; it's the first time in ages that we're all getting together again."  _All of us being defined as Mai, Joe, Terry and him; it had been nearly two years since the four of them had been in each other's presence at the same time.

_"Just once I wish that it didn't have some sense of foreboding; that we were just trying to enjoy each other's company," _Andy silently prayed.  The last time they had gotten together, the number in their group had increased to five, then back down to four in less than a month.  If anything, Terry had become even more solitary, calling on Andy and Joe fewer and fewer till finally they heard from him only once every six months; life dealt his brother some harsh cards, and it seemed like he would never gamble again.

            _"All flight attendants prepare for arrival."_

            At the sound of the Captain's voice, Andy turned to Mai and gently woke her up, shaking her shoulder softly.  "Andy?" she murmured in a sleepy voice.

            "Hey Mai, we're almost in New York so c'mon sleepy head; wake up!" he joked, tucking a strand of crimson hair behind her ear.

            "Oh you just wait, you're going to be wishing that you'd slept too," she responded tiredly, wiping the sleep from her eyes.  "Besides, I plan on enjoying some of New York's nightlife, _tonight_!" she exclaimed gleefully.

            "I hope you plan on enjoying it by yourself," Andy smirked, as he returned to his novel.

            "Party pooper," Mai murmured under her breath; Andy really was no fun! All her work at turning him into the sexiest man alive was for nothing… then suddenly, his voice was decidedly close to her, whispering, "At least I won't be exhausted for some _other_ activities," he said, as he bit gently on her ear.  Mai's breath hitched and a soft gasp could be heard from her.

.           .           .

_"It's going to be a long day," _thought Darien Chiba, as he sighed.  Today he and Serena left for New York, to watch Lita compete in Women's World Martial Arts Championship; at least, that was the official story told to all the couple's friends and Serena's parents.  In reality, for the first time in nearly four years, there was a threat to the Earth.  Darien hoped; no, he prayed, that it wasn't serious at all.  They were one scout short, and they hadn't seen battle for a while; in fact, they were getting rusty.  And if Mina hadn't been keeping it a secret for this long, looking for Rei to see if it were true, then maybe they could have started looking for this threat earlier.  Putting his bags in the trunk of his car, Darien leaned against its side, waiting for Serena to say her goodbyes and bring down her things.  He smirked; maybe Mina's premonition was a good thing; at the very least, it made the scouts mention her name finally.  But then again that wasn't the best thing in the world; from his emails with Rei, he didn't believe for a minute that she had forgiven them; hell, he didn't even think _he _had forgiven them.  Smiling sadly, his thoughts once again returned to that year after Rei disappeared, one of the most difficult in his life.

.           .           .

            At first, Darien had thought Rei had gone somewhere to cool off, so he had stayed in his apartment, trying to explain to each of the scouts exactly what had happened.  Yet, none seemed ready to even listen to his explanation, except Mina, Michirou and Setsuna; they sensed something else entirely.  Serena, however, could not be appeased; she just sat there shaking here head even when Darien tried to approach.  She sat there and silently cried.  The rest of the scouts moved into Darien's living room and remained there, talking about what punishment would befit the two of them.

            "Rei should be removed from the Sailor Scouts immediately," raged Lita, fuming as she walked around.  Tossing her hands in the air, she said, "If she can betray Serena like this, then she can betray any one of us at our most critical times! In battle for instance!"

            "You guys," Mina began again, patiently, "I really don't think something was going; you know Rei if she had, she would have been trying to deny it up and down.  She just left.  I'm telling you, something is not right."

            At this point, Jupiter turned her head once again to say something totally uncalled for but before she could reply, Amy stepped in saying, "I know you feel that way Mina, but look at the facts: we caught them in bed together, and Darien was protecting her… it leads me to believe one thing, and that's"

            "No!," Mina yelled, surprising them.  "I refuse to believe that Rei would do that, and I can't believe that you guys think that she would!  What makes you even consider that Rei would betray anyone like that?!  It's not like her at all!"

"But Mina," answered a very soft voice.  Everyone looked towards young Saturn, who was speaking for the first time since they had arrived.  "From what I know, Rei was with Darien before Serena, right?"

"Yes, its true; but that was nearly 3 years ago!  That doesn't mean anything!" Mina replied.  "I was there; from the beginning Rei gave Darien up!"

"But the attraction was there, was it not?" asked Hotaru. "And they are very close; Rei is the closet one to Darien among us because of it, and with them working together for Rei's night, they had a chance to grow even closer… it adds up, Mina."

A/N: I am sorry for not working on this story as I should have; life has a way of interrupting everything, doesn't it? Anyway I hope to get the next chapter up next week… no promises though!


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